Medications
The Digital Health Drug Repository (DHDR) is a provincial source of personal health information about medications and pharmacy services for individuals in Ontario. This information is made available through viewing solutions to authorized health care providers. Access to DHDR information improves patient care and safety, efficiencies in care delivery, and the patient and health care provider experience.
Currently, the DHDR contains information from the Ministry of Health about publicly funded medications and pharmacy services, as well as all monitored drugs (narcotics and controlled substances) regardless of payor. In addition, DHDR shares COVID-19 vaccination information from COVaxON to viewing solutions. COVaxON is the ministry’s provincial solution for COVID-19 vaccination information.
In working towards a more comprehensive medication record, starting in 2024, DHDR will begin receiving information directly from community pharmacies and hospitals.
The DHDR expansion includes:
- Records for all individuals in Ontario including:
- people without an Ontario Health Number
- occurrences when an individual chooses not to use their Ontario Health number
- Hospital-administered medications
- All community pharmacy-dispensed medications and pharmacy services
- publicly or privately paid
- Medication details not currently available in the DHDR (such as directions for use for a medication)
The work to receive information from all community pharmacies and hospitals across Ontario will require several years. Each community pharmacy and hospital must complete the necessary steps to securely send information to the DHDR.
Access by health care providers to this new information will be available after viewing solutions (such as provincial viewers, electronic medical record systems, etc.) integrate with the new DHDR specification. Plans and timelines for DHDR viewing solutions to begin using the new DHDR specification have not yet been established
Information Available to Health Care Providers
Over 12 years of information about publicly funded drugs dispensed in Ontario.
Over 10 years of information about all monitored drugs (narcotics and controlled substances), regardless of payor, when the approved identification used was a valid Ontario Health Number.
For drug information, providers can view the dispensed date, name, strength, dosage form, quantity and estimated days’ supply of the drugs which have been dispensed to a patient. In addition, prescriber and pharmacy information is displayed.
Over 7 years of information about publicly funded pharmacy services that have been delivered to an individual (e.g. MedsCheck Program medication reviews, Pharmacist administration of vaccines, Pharmacy Smoking Cessation Program services, Naloxone kits provided through the Ontario Naloxone Program for Pharmacies).
Providers can view the service date, a description of the service and the pharmacy information. In some instances, prescriber information will be available, which may be the name of the pharmacist that provided the pharmacy service.
Benefits
DHDR’s provision of near real-time, comprehensive and detailed medication information for all individuals living in Ontario, enables enhanced patient outcomes, patient safety, provider and patient experience leading to:
- Improved continuity of care during transitions across health care settings and services.
- Enhanced provider and patient-provider collaborations.
- Decreased risk of adverse drug events.
- Reduced burden on patients to recount their medication details to health care providers.
- Less time spent by health care providers on information-gathering for clinical decision-making and establishing Best Possible Medication History (BPMH).
How to Access Information in the Digital Health Drug Repository
The DHDR information is currently accessible through the ClinicalConnect viewer in South West Ontario and the ConnectingOntario Clinical viewer in the Greater Toronto Area and Northern and Eastern Region.
As part of the ministry’s roadmap for the Comprehensive Drug Profile Strategy (CDPS), the DHDR will continue to be enhanced and expanded through integration with other point of care systems such as Hospital Information Systems, Electronic Medical Records and consumer portals.
ConnectingOntario ClinicalViewer
Authorized health care providers in Greater Toronto Area and Northern and Eastern Region can access the DHDR information using ConnectingOntario ClinicalViewer.
ClinicalConnect™
Authorized health care providers in South West Ontario can access the DHDR information using ClinicalConnect™.